


Christmas Wishes Come True

by SalazarTipton



Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: Advent Calendar, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Christmas, Getting Together, Haven Advent 2017, Haven Advent Calendar 2017, M/M, Nathan can feel, Troubles (Haven)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-08 06:36:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12858879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SalazarTipton/pseuds/SalazarTipton
Summary: Prompt: If you were to ask for anything… “Dear Santa, for Christmas, I…”.a.k.a magic letters to Santa make Audrey and Nathan's wishes come true





	Christmas Wishes Come True

 

"Come on, Nathan. It's just a guy in a Santa costume," Audrey chides as they get out of his truck. "It's not like Duke's in one this time."

 

"When has Duke ever worn a Santa costume?" he asks, avoiding the first part of her statement.

 

He waits for her to elaborate, but she just shakes her head to herself and mumbles something about snow globes while he pushes open the little gate to Santa's Village that had been set up in one of the parks.

 

They'd gotten the call while asking the Teagues about yet another person gone missing in the town. With Mr. Jarnagin being the fourth one, they knew this had to be a Trouble, and not isolated incidents. The brothers were both dodging their questions, giving them town history instead of just saying whether or not they knew of a Trouble that could cause such a thing.

 

Nathan's nerves are starting to fray the more times he goes to those two to get no answers only to find out later they knew what was happening all along. One of these days, he swears he'll get to the bottom of what they're keeping from him and Audrey, but, for now, he has a pony to worry about.

 

"Hi, sweetie," Audrey says, walking over to the little girl with what looks like a plush horse in her lap. "I'm Audrey. What's your name?"

 

"Rene," the little girl says in a tiny, soft voice.

 

"Well, Rene, what have you got there?" The girl tries to hid the pony in her lap, but it moves away from her arm as it tries to chew on her sleeve.

 

Nathan looks a little bewildered at the live horse the size of a cat. It's not the weirdest thing he'd seen in Haven, but his list of weird is far too long to categorize since the Troubles came back. He leaves Audrey with the little girl to go question the witnesses.

 

Apparently, if he trusted Mrs. Longworth, the little girl came in holding a toy horse by the hoof and played with it while she waited for her turn to sit on Santa's lap. Her mother had been talking on her phone when she finally got her chance. When she hopped down, Santa handed her the toy, but once it was in her arms, it was alive.

 

He can't help but make the connection with Landon. Stuffed horses being real all of a sudden? He makes a mental note to check in with him as he heads over to interview Santa, who was still sitting on his big chair next to the fake reindeer.

 

"Hello, sir. I'd like to ask you some questions about what happened," Nathan says as he steps over the rope beside the "Please Wait in Line" sign.

 

"Ho, ho, ho-f course you do! Tell you what, I'll answer your questions if you do me one thing," the man replies, still keeping to his Santa character.

 

Nathan refrains from retorting only because Audrey sidles up next to him, giving him a little hip check and glare. He swallows down his thoughts.

 

"I'm not sitting on your lap and telling you what I want for Christmas," he says in a blank monotone. Audrey seems less than impressed, but hey, it's better than what he was going to say in the first place.

 

"No, I think you're both a little past the years of sitting on my lap," the man chortles, actually chortles. "Why don't you both write me a letter instead? All the supplies are right over there by my North Pole Mail Box. They'll be sent straight up to my wife once you close the slot and your wishes will come true!"

 

Nathan looks down at Audrey, every fiber of him vibrating with hell no. It's ridiculous and unprofessional to bend to the whims of some guy paid to dress up like Santa Claus for a month out of the year. Though, Nathan did admit the guy looks eerily like Santa with his real, full white beard and a belly that doesn't look to be made of stuffing. Audrey glances up at Nathan with a look he knows all too well.

 

“And then you’ll tell us what you know about that?” she asks, nodding her head back to the girl petting her tiny, tiny horse.

 

“I’m a man of my word, Audrey. You just need to be honest in your letters of what you _really want_ and I’ll answer your questions.”

 

Nathan opens his mouth to ask how he knows her name, but Audrey is pulling him back towards the mailbox and little table covered in construction paper and giant crayons.

 

“Don’t,” she says as she takes a seat in one of the tiny chairs and picks up a large, blue crayon before Nathan can remind her of how dumb this is. She tosses a crayon at him. “Just write your Christmas list and we can move on with our day, okay?”

 

“Whatever you say, Parker,” he says, hiding a small smile.

 

He pulls a piece of paper towards himself and ponders. What did he want? Haven to be safe for the holidays? For the Troubles to disappear and never come back? For the Chief back? Nathan tries to peer over at Audrey’s  paper, but she quickly covers it like they’re in third grade trying to cheat off each other’s spelling tests or something. He rolls his eyes at her and looks down at his blank paper.

 

Nathan runs a hand over it, knowing how it should feel: a little rough and fibery. He remembers making school projects with it when he was young, before the Troubles came and he couldn’t feel.

 

_Dear Santa,_

 

_For Christmas I wish I could feel._

 

_Nathan_

 

He waited for Audrey to finish the novel she was trying to write on the tiny paper, flipping over to the back for more room. Santa is still sitting on his chair, watching them with a happy grin and (what Nathan thinks other people would say) twinkling eyes.

 

When she finishes, they both fold up their letters and slide them into the metal slot of the box. Audrey sends Santa a terse smile while the door clangs shut. Nathan notes a whiff of nutmeg permeating through the air as they walk back over to the man. They carefully step over the rope again, but when they look up, Santa is gone.

 

They search the area and ask around, but no one saw the man leave. He would have been hard to miss in the bright red suit, which he must still be wearing since no one found it anywhere. Audrey and Nathan bow their heads in defeat when their back in the truck.

 

“I was looking right at him. It was only a second when I looked down. There was no way he could have gotten away that fast unless…” she said, trailing off at the end.

 

“Unless he’s Troubled? You think he’s behind that creepy little horse?” Nathan asks. Maybe they didn’t need to pay Landon a visit after all.

 

“The horse isn’t creepy; it’s just tiny. Rene can feed it...like a piece of hay a day and keep it in a Barbie horse stable or something.”

 

They shoot back possibilities of what kind of Trouble this could be while they make their way through town back to the station. Being the beginning of December, all the shops are lined with string lights, wreaths, and organized shoppers ready to cross of their lists of who to buy for still. Audrey’s staring out the window at a mom wrangling two kids that desperately want to check out the candy shop when Nathan abruptly pulls over to the side of the road.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

Nathan turns off the engine with his eyes closed, sitting very still. She watches him slowly roll back his shoulders and place a hand on his knee, rubbing gentle little circles over the denim.

 

Everything _feels!_  The stiffness of his muscles that have undergone so much stress he didn’t know to alleviate besides with his daily, preventative stretching, the fabric weighing against his skin and rubbing lightly, the smooth and chilly leather of the steering wheel--Nathan can feel it all.

 

“I can feel,” he whispers as if saying it out loud will break the spell and he’ll be hurled back into disconnected numbness. Nathan raises his fingers to his lips and brushes over them gently. He blinks back the overwhelming tears from all this sudden sensation. “Maybe you should drive.”

 

Audrey smiles at him with a giant, kid-in-a-candy-store grin. Before thinking, she quickly wraps him up in a hug, only realizing that may not have been the best idea when Nathan lets out a low groan before squeezing her back just as tight.

 

“That’s amazing! It’s not just me? You can feel…”

 

“Everything, yeah,” he says in more of a sigh than words against her neck.

 

When they get back to the station, everything is as it always is: bustling of paperwork, phones ringing occasionally, and Stan changing out the coffee pots. But everything feels different to Nathan now. He runs his hand along the columns surrounding the bullpen as they make their way to his office, taking in the cool temperature and fine grain of the wood.

 

“You coming?” Audrey asks, smirking from the doorway of his office. “Or do I need to give you two a minute alone?”

 

Nathan rolls his eyes and follows her into a room full of files and half-empty coffee cups. These missing persons cases have been taking their toll with no new leads, and now they have to worry about a disappearing Santa connected to pocket-sized ponies. There were some days Nathan wished he went to Portland after school instead of coming back here. Today was almost that day until…

 

“I’d knock, but you always leave the door open anyway.”

 

Nathan takes in a deep breath waiting for the soft smell of sea water and herbs to overtake him, but they don’t come. He turns to make sure it’s who he knows it is leaning on his desk. Sure enough, there’s Duke looking as rugged as ever. _Right. I can feel, so the other senses aren’t as sharp_ , he reminds himself.

 

"What happened beforehand? Like did anything trigger this or, or did it just happen?" Audrey asks with a nod to Duke in greeting.

 

"I don't know," Nathan admits. "I was just driving. The only weird thing I've done today was write that completely unnecessary letter."

 

"Uh, hi! Little outta the loop here," Duke butts in, point at himself before holding out his arms, waiting for them to explain what's going on.

 

"You wanna tell the guy the good news?" Audrey asks after a moment with a smirk. "I'll go get some coffee." She pats Duke on the shoulder, grabs her cup off her desk, and closes the door behind her on her way out.

 

Duke turns on Nathan, expectant with an eyebrow quirked. Instead of answering, Nathan leans back in his chair and stretches out his arms. God, he'd forgotten just how _good_ stretching feels. He should make a note for the future to stretch more often. He's sure his muscles won't mind although he probably won't be able to feel it.

 

"You're stretching. Why are you stretching? You should be uptight Nathan not loose and ready Nathan. What's--" Duke stops dead in his line of questioning and gapes at him for a second.

 

Nathan expects some joke about hiring him a sex worker again, but instead, Duke jumps up from his spot on Nathan's desk and bends down to wrap him up in his arms. The sudden sensation takes the breath out of him. Now he can smell Duke like he couldn't before--the familiar and somewhat comfortable scent of _him_. Nathan pushes that out of his mind to focus on this feeling.

 

Duke isn't just warm against him, he's burning up. He'd heard Audrey call him a furnace before, but this takes the cake. Duke's body heat seeps into Nathan's tense muscles. He can't help but relax into his embrace, eventually remembering to hug him back.

 

One sensation Nathan never thought he would feel is Duke long breaths ghosting out over his neck as he holds him closer. He feels Duke smile for a brief moment against his shoulder.

 

"You can feel?" he nearly laughs out in a stage whisper.

 

Nathan licks his lips and opens them to answer, but a tightness comes around his throat, so he just nods against Duke's own shoulder instead.

 

"How'd it happen?" Duke asks, pulling away enough to look at Nathan's face, but still holding his arms with a light, warm pressure.

 

"Uh," he clears his throat. "I don't know. Had a weird morning with a tiny horse and Santa Claus, then..."

 

"I'm sorry, what?" Duke laughs to himself. "Just a day in Haven, right?"

 

Nathan laughs at that. He feels each laugh line appear over his face along with the rise of his cheeks and spreading of his lips into a smile. At the sound, Duke's face drops out of his joking into something more real--something less tangible with lips parted slightly and brow at ease. His eyes seems to see right into Nathan. The only way Nathan can start to describe it is serene.

 

His laugh trickles off, leaving them in an easy silence. Duke’s hand trails up a few inches to stroke long paths across Nathan’s neck.

 

"Duke?" Nathan whispers. He doesn't want to break this rare moment of clarity  between them, but is desperate to know what's going on behind those eyes.

 

"I'm so happy for you, man," Duke says with a small twitch at the side of his mouth as a quick smirk. "So, you wanna explain this weird-ass morning to me or what?"

 

Duke steps back and settles back on top of the desk. Nathan shakes his head, trying to rid himself of the feeling that he missed something in all that.

 

"Duke Crocker taking interest in police matters? If I didn't know better, I might say you want to help us out," Nathan says, looking up at Duke with a tiny squint.

 

"Well then aren't we lucky you know me better than that," he retorts, picking up a file off his desk.

 

It's one of the missing persons cases. Nathan snatches it back before Duke can go rifling through it. He holds his hands up in defeat, yet leans forward to read the name off of it.

 

"That bastard finally getting what's coming to him?" Duke asks.

 

"Jason Reed? What would be 'coming to him' exactly?"

 

Duke looks at him for a moment like Nathan's lost it, but explains anywhere. "The guy's an asshole, that's what. Might be better if he was a real dead beat instead of acting like a dad to his two kids just long enough for them to think he's gotten better. Don't you have the noise complaint around here somewhere?"

 

"Yeah, they're...right here," Nathan says, producing another file from stack.

 

They both turn when Audrey knocks on the door.

 

"Come in."

 

They wait and another knock comes. Duke rolls his eyes and gets up to open the door. His expression lights up when Audrey hands him a mug with a tea bag string dangling over the side.

 

"Figured you be here a while whether we want you to be or not," she says.

 

"Audrey, you are a wonder!"

 

"Duke noticed something about one of our missing persons," Nathan says, getting them back to work and away from their banter.

 

After looking at the other people who are missing and cross referencing what was known about the families, each person seems to have a reason others would want them gone: abuse, alcoholism, strict rules, the works. They all lean back for a moment and look around at their finding strewn over Nathan's and Audrey's desks.

 

"Do I have to be the one that says it?" Duke asks them both. "Might be for the best these fuckers are gone."

 

"But how they got gone is puzzling at best," Audrey adds in.

 

They all look up when a knock comes on the door. Nathan calls them in and Stan is standing in the doorway with a box in his hands.

 

"Hey, got the photos from Santa's Village that you wanted. The security tapes are on their way."

 

Audrey smiles and motions for Duke to take the box since he's the only one without file boxes in his way to the door. He gives her a fake smile and thanks Stan before closing the door behind him.

 

“Thank you!” Nathan yells out, shooting Duke a glare.

 

As Audrey and Nathan start pulling things out of the box, Nathan rubs his fingers along the hem of his sweater, taking in the rough feeling of the wool. He makes yet another mental note to buy softer things in the future. He’d have to bring someone with him, maybe Audrey, to test the fabric for him...though he does really appreciate Duke’s taste in clothes more. He thinks back to the feeling of Duke’s cardigan against his fingers during their hug that seemed to have taken place hours ago now.

 

If Duke wouldn’t be a pain in the ass about it, he could help him find better clothes…they’d have to be at L.L. Bean, though. And that means a trip all the way down to Freeport with Duke in the car being annoying about the radio and his driving. Maybe he’ll scratch clothes shopping off the list of future endeavours after all.

 

“You gotta take a look at this,” Audrey says to the room, pulling Nathan out of his thoughts.

 

He gets up from his desk and tiptoes around the boxes scattered about the room until he’s

looking at an arrangement of photos on her desk. Duke leans on his shoulder to get a look himself. Nathan pushes the feeling of his weight to the back of his mind to focus on what’s in front of them: pictures of kids sitting on Santa’s lap. Rene is the last photo in Audrey’s line up.

 

“That’s one of the Reed kids,” Duke says.

 

Nathan looks at the one he’s pointing to. A little boy with a bit of a cherub face is positively beaming at the camera like he’d just won himself a chocolate factory. All the other kids look equally as happy--or better put: ecstatic.

 

“Each of these kids belong to the broken homes of our missing persons,” Nathan says with his brows furrowed.

 

Audrey nods, looking grim. “We gotta find that Santa.”

 

“We put out a BOLO and the park is being monitored. His employer has no idea what kind of vehicle he drives. So, if you have any ideas…” Nathan trails off with a sigh. He knows there isn’t much else they can do to find the guy until those tapes get here.

 

Duke gives him a playful nudge of his knuckles to his jaw. “Hey, I have a great idea. While we wait on whatever, let’s go to the Gull, get some food, maybe a beer…”

 

Audrey’s eyes focus on Nathan when he raises a hand to brush against the spot where Duke touched him. He knows the smile that spreads across her lips all too well. Before he can say or do anything to stop her, she speaks.

 

“You know, Duke, I’m sure Nathan would love to grab some food. He can actually feel how hungry he is now and I’m sure that doughnut from this morning has worn off,” she says. “I’ll stay here and call some of the families, see if they have any idea where these assholes could have got off to.”

 

* * *

  


Everything still seems like _so much,_ feeling each shift of his foot in his boot, the fabric moving against his skin, the handle of the door to the Gull. He doesn't want this to go away. He' so connected with everything around him instead of feeling trapped in his head, estranged from the touch of the world. Now he can experience the cold of the coming winter first hand along with the biting wind. He closes his eyes to focus on his slowly warming cheeks.

 

Nathan pulls out his chair and settles in. Duke picked a table by the back row of windows to look out over the bay. Their usual spot on the deck is too cold for them to enjoy a beer out on, so this is the next best place. He relishes in the grain of the wood as he pulls himself forward.

  


"Everything okay there, Nathan?" Duke asks when he comes over with two beers from the bar.

 

"Yeah, just feeling," Nathan says with an awkward pause. Talking about this seems like an intrusion on the personal. He's also trying to ignore the niggling fear in the back of his mind that this will soon be gone from him yet again.

 

Duke gives him a soft smile, settling into his own chair before clinking his bottle with Nathan's in their usual two-tap cheers. "To sensation."

 

Nathan shakes his head with a smile and takes a small swig of the pale ale. It isn't his usual drink. He raises an eyebrow at Duke who just shrugs and tastes his own beer.

 

"Any idea what could have caused this? Another Trouble or something?" Duke breaks the silence after their usuals down in front of them.

 

Nathan slips his napkin on his lap, thinking. "It has to be. Can't think of what else would have done it."

 

Duke cuts into his meat with a quick glance up to Nathan. His eyes look hard, yet his features are still in their easy, sea-weathered lines. "Well, I hope it stays. It's not often you smile this much. Looks good on you."

 

Nathan lets out a curt laugh. "What? No jokes about hiring someone to give me a good time this time around?"

 

He sighs and leans back from his plate, looking everywhere but at Nathan. "You know I didn't mean--" He clenches his jaw, clearly trying to work his way out of explaining himself. Nathan smiles to himself and takes a bite of his food, waiting. "We're on much better terms now, right? We're...close."

 

"Close?" Nathan asks around his mouthful with a pinched face. Duke looks ready to jump off the balcony outside instead of following his line of questions. "Like being friends or..."

 

"Let's just eat."

 

They remain in a jilted silence while they eat their rather good food. Nathan knows his food always turns out better when Duke is back in the kitchen, but then he couldn't look up to see him watching the swells crash down on the rocks just off the deck.

 

He takes the opportunity to appreciate Duke’s features. It’s not often he has the time and Duke distracted enough to take in his strong jawline--wondering how his stumble would feel against his hands or maybe even his chapped lips, the curl of his long hair tucked behind his ear, or how his eyes reflect the water he’s watching. Nathan’s chest tightens when a small parted-lip smile splashes onto Duke’s face when a striper jumps out of the water around the rocks trying to catch a bait fish. Nathan hasn’t seen Duke this calm and relaxed in, well, years.

 

The tightness in his chest spreads into his throat when he thinks harder on how long it’s been since they’ve had the chance to just sit back and watch the waves instead of running to save people’s lives or running away from something to save their own. Right now, all Nathan wants to do is stay here with Duke and forget about this Troubles for a day--just live like adults in the prime of their lives should: having nights out, leaving work at the office, dating…

 

“Nathan?” He blinks a few times to focus back on Duke who’s now looking at him with concern. “You okay? You’ve barely touched your food. If you want something else I can go--”

 

He waves a hand to stop Duke. “No, I, uh...just been an odd day is all.”

 

Duke reaches across the table slow enough to give Nathan the time to move away if he wishes. He pauses before letting his hand slip over Nathan’s and rubs a few little circles into the back of his palm with his thumb. “If you want to take the rest of the day, no one would blame you. I’m surprised you aren't overwhelmed.” Nathan tries to stop him again, but Duke just squeezes his hand and keeps going. “Audrey can handle looking over some photos and tapes. She was trained by the FBI for fucksake.”

 

Nathan sighs, knowing he has no way of getting out of this. Duke knows him too well for any of his possible excuses. He hangs his hand a little and glares at Duke who just smiles a wide, winner’s grin.

 

“So, you’re stuck with me for the day. Better let Audrey know,” Duke says with a smirk wink.

 

After he pulls his phone out of his pocket, Nathan stands, failing Audrey as he walks out onto the chilly deck for a little more privacy. The wind bites through his shirt. He crosses his arms for a little added warmth as he listens to the rings. His cheeks feel frozen by the time Audrey finally answers.

 

“Nathan, how’s lunch? You bringing me anything?” She says in lieu of an actual greeting.

 

“Well, hello to you too. Duke is kidnapping me for the day, it seems. He doesn’t think I should be working the case when I’m...distracted. Any way you can save me?”

 

Audrey laughs. “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. You need to go enjoy all your new _sensations._ I’ve got things here covered. Go have some fun for once in your life.”

 

“I don’t like what you’re insinuating, Parker,” Nathan says with a hard frown.

 

He’s regretted telling Audrey about his feelings for Duke since the day it happened. It’s why he doesn’t drink nearly as much anymore. At every possible time, Audrey now makes sure he and Duke get time alone when it’s completely unnecessary and even a hinderance.

 

“Nathan, you go back in their and tell that man how you feel--how you _really_ feel. Trust me when I say it’s gonna work out a hell of a lot better than you think it will.”

 

He tries to argue, but Audrey hangs up on him. How can she expect him to tell Duke? They’ve only just gotten back on speaking terms. She doesn’t know their history--how Duke left and how Nathan reacted. She doesn’t know how badly Nathan treated him when Duke came back to town...okay, she may have an idea about that part, he admits, but the rest still stands.

 

Nathan leans forward with his palms against the brutally cold wood of the railing and closes his eyes. The crashing of the water and the wind whipping around him lets him let go of his thoughts for the moment. He breathes in the salty air and takes in all he can hear and feel.

 

“You’re going to freeze out here, man,” Duke hisses from behind him.

 

Nathan turns to see him bundled in his favorite cardigan, leaning out the door to the dining room, not fully wanting to step out into the winter air. The wind tugs his hair away from behind his ear. Nathan’s fingers twitch, wishing he was close enough to tuck it back into place himself. It flutters in front of Duke’s eyes for a moment before he tucks it back again, still looking at Nathan, waiting for him to come back inside.

 

Duke opens the door a little wider. Nathan sighs to himself and pushes off the cold wood, propelling himself towards Duke despite his unwilling legs wanting him to stay there brooding in whatever the hell today might throw at him next. When he makes his way through the door past Duke, he claps a hand on his shoulder and rubs the spot warm.

 

They settle back into their meal. Nathan’s food is a little on the nuke-warm side now, but it still tastes great. He’s so focused on his food he doesn’t notice Duke watching him with warm eyes. Only when he looks up to grab his beer bottle does his notice. He keeps eye contact with Duke as he takes a long swig, letting the crisp taste linger on his tongue. Duke eyes follow the bob of his adam’s apple when he swallows, trailing up to his mouth when he licks a few drops of his drink off of them.

 

“You wanna get outta here?” Nathan asks barely above a whisper.

 

Duke’s surprise was quickly overtaken by a slow nod and cheeky smile. “Why not? Any particular place or do you just wanna get outta my bar already?”

 

Nathan sends Duke a thoughtful smirk as he pushes his chair back and grabs his coat. “How ‘bout your place?” Before it’s even out of his mouth, he’s already regretting saying it. He’s unsure where this sudden wave of confidence came from and even more confused as to why Duke isn’t calling him out on it. Duke is the master of picking up on what Nathan doesn’t want anyone to notice...besides his feelings, that is.

 

The surprise on Duke’s face took a moment to melt away into an accepting nod. Of all the time he’s known Duke, Nathan wishes he understood his mannerisms better so he could find a reason for the bubbling of anxiety in his gut, unsure whether Duke got what Nathan had meant or if he was just humoring him.

 

The ride in the Bronco to the docks didn’t take long with Duke telling him about the most recent gossip at The Gull. Apparently Jessie Harding has been having an affair and her boyfriend found out in the middle of their anniversary dinner when a waitress asked if they were brother and sister, assuming the other man she’d brought in earlier that week was her significant other. They both laugh and chalk it up to small towns.

 

With quick feet on the slippery dock, they make their way onto the Rouge and out of the cold. Duke takes a second to unlock the door to his quarters while Nathan urges him forward with a hand on the small of his back, trying to leech some of his warmth for his freezing fingers. It was only part way through December, but the air felt like it was February. The only way to know the difference was the lack of towering snowbanks and slightly more sun.

 

Duke falls through the doorway, trying to get inside as fast as he could, with Nathan right on his heels. He shuts the door behind them, latching it closed with a few loud clicks and bangs. Soon the room around them is silent aside from their panting. Duke looks like he’s about to say something, but instead waves a hand at the heater and turns to raise the temperature.

 

It gives Nathan a moment to think outside of Duke’s presence that’s been clouding his mind since he first saw him at the station. He’s on the Rouge in the middle of the day instead of helping Audrey find missing people and track down a possibly Troubled Santa Claus. He supposes being here with Duke is the least weird part of his day so far. There are far worse things he could be doing, but the guilt of shirking his responsibilities doesn’t disappear. He reminds himself that even Audrey, the workaholic, told him to take the day.

 

The Cape Rouge shifts in the coming tide. Nathan watches the burners on the stove tilt as he shifts his weight to the other foot to keep his balance. Living on a boat does cut back on some of the amenities, but he can see why Duke enjoys it so much. The rocking of the sea could be a comfort. The seagulls usually squawking outside are a different story thought. Maybe Nathan could get used to the sound...He shakes his head at himself. Why’s he thinking about this? He should be focusing on taking Audrey advice (more like demand), not how living with Duke would be.

 

"Now what, officer?" Duke jokes as he pours himself two fingers of whiskey.

Nathan raises an eyebrow at him when Duke pulls out another glass and fills it to the same level. It's set down in front of him with little fanfare, but Duke's gesture seems...different than usual. He tries to find what's so off this time.

 

The heater clicks a few times behind them and a puff of warmth caresses its way over his neck. Out of reflex, he closes his eyes to appreciate the sensation. He brings his glass to his lips without looking, revelling in knowing where things are without relying solely on his sight to guide him.

 

He opens his eyes warily when he feels Duke draw in closer to him. He's gone around the counter to stand just a few inches from him. Duke's eyes glimmer in the daylight coming in through the porthole behind Nathan. Simultaneously, he appears completely focused on Nathan while giving off a distracted energy. Duke presses forward causing Nathan to trip back against the wall.

 

"What are..." Nathan begins asking, but something in his mind clicks into place making his words trail off.

 

Before he's sure of what he's doing, his glass has been taken by Duke to set on the counter beside his own forgotten drink. His hands are cupping Duke's neck, fingers twining around his long hair, and pulling him even closer. He hears his head thud against the door jam, but doesn't mind the dull ache it creates. He's too focused on the feeling of Duke's scruff brushing against his own cheek when he brushes his lips over Nathan's cheekbone.

 

Duke braces himself with a hand on Nathan's hip and the other tipping his chin up to press their lips gently together. His lips are far smoother than Nathan had expected. They feel silky and plush against his own rough ones. His tongue dips into the crease between his lips for a mere second, testing the waters.

 

They both jump when Nathan's pocket vibrants against their legs. He fishes it out while he catches his breath. Audrey is calling him. She's always had great timing. He clears his throat and ducks his head away from Duke's playful gaze before he answers.

 

"What's up?"

 

"Nathan! Where are you right now? I checked at the Gull and they said you left with Duke. I think I figured out what's causing your disappearing affliction and all the missing people," Audrey spouts off.

 

"I'm with Duke on the Rouge. What's the connection?"

 

"Wish granting Trouble. Remember those letters "Santa" had us write? Had the box sent to your office and sure enough, all the kids wished for peace at home or for their parents to disappear. I didn't read yours, but I'm guessing that's the source of your feeling."

 

Nathan swallows and nods. He tries to ignore the cold dread dripping down his spine. "Yeah," he gets out through a tight throat. Once they sort out this Trouble, he'll be back to his usual, numb self. He closes his eyes and turns away from Duke, not wanting him to spot his distress.

 

"What are you and Duke doing together?" shes asks in a rush. He thinks he hears her starting her car and the buckling of a seat belt.

 

"What's that have to do with anything? And where are you going? I thought you were at the Station?" Nathan fumbles through his words when he feels Duke slip a hand into his back pocket to grip his ass.

 

"Whatever you're doing, stop! I didn't think anything would come of it so I wished for...You know what, nevermind. Just sit tight. I'll be there soon."

 

"What did you wish for?" Nathan blurts out with a sinking in his gut despite the peppering of kisses along his neck that were sending flutters through his heart and chest. "Audrey! What did you--"

 

"I'm sorry! I didn't think..." she trails off to yell at a pedestrian to get out of her way. "I'll see you soon. Just keep your hands to yourself."

 

The lines clicks dead.

 

Nathan holds the phone out to look at the blank screen. His mind wants to focus back on Duke and his wandering hands along his belt buckle, but he grounds himself in the feeling of his teeth clenching and pulls Duke’s hands away.

 

“Audrey’s on her way,” Nathan says with more weight than Duke expects.

 

“Okay? You sound like someone died,” Duke jokes, holding his hands up to show Nathan he’s not trying any more funny business as he turns around to face him again. “I can be a good boy.”

 

He rounds the counter again to pick up his whiskey. He takes a long whiff, swirling the liquid around over the ice cubes before taking a quick sip. Duke nods at Nathan’s abandon glass.

 

“Come on, Nate. Loosen up. You were doing so well until she called. Don’t you want to _feel_ relaxed?”

 

Nathan wants to take that glasses brushing over Duke’s lips as he speaks out of his hand so he can touch them instead, enjoy the silky, plump feeling of them against his own. His whole self is yearning for Duke’s touch to be back on his skin. But he resists. Instead of grabbing Duke back into a searing kiss, he picks up his own glass and takes a long pull. He tries to ignore the niggling thoughts of exactly what Audrey must have wished for. Nathan doesn’t want to wonder if any of Duke’s advances had been genuine.

 

Duke saunters over to one of the booths and gets comfortable, kicking his feet up on the other bench and unbuttons his cardigan revealing the portion of his henley that shows part of his toned neck and chest. Sucking a dark bruise into that skin, hearing and seeing Duke’s response to Nathan’s mouth is all he wants to experience in this moment. His glasses clinks against the counter when he steps forward towards him.

 

“Thank goodness! I was worried you two would be all tangled up by now!” Audrey interprets Nathan’s plan to devour Duke as she bursts in, closing the door quickly behind her. She sees the disappointment in Nathan look and motions for him to sit opposite from Duke at the table.

 

“What’s going on?” Duke asks. He lifts his feet enough for Nathan to siddle into the seat and proceeds to rest them on his thigh instead of sitting like an adult with his feet firmly on the floor.

 

Audrey pulls up one of the stools and sighs, clearly wishing she could be doing anything else right now. “So, this morning Nathan and I wrote letters to Santa, per the request of the now-missing most likely affiliated Santa.

 

She slides a folded piece of construction paper to the center of the table as explanation. "I'm sorry. I didn't think--"

 

Duke grabs it before Nathan moves to take a look. He's wishing if he doesn't look, he won't have to face that this flurry of physicality and emotion with Duke has just been the result of a Trouble--that none of it was real. He still looks up to watch Duke as he reads Audrey's letter over and over again.

 

"Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is for my two best friends to get their heads out of their asses and admits their feelings for each other already, Sincerely, Audrey," Duke reads out with a confused expression--eyebrows drawn and lips lingering open.

 

"This 'Santa's' Trouble is granting wishes. I shouldn't have let you two go when..." she sighs and leans back away from the table for a moment.

 

Nathan now makes a grab for the letter, snatching it away from Duke who looks at him a little scornfully, surprised by his ferocity. He reads it again and again. _Their feeling for each other_... Mutual feelings. That means--

 

"Get out," Nathan says under his breath, eyes flicking up to meet Duke's.

 

"Nathan, I know you must be upset, but I didn't mean anything by this--"

 

Duke licks his lips and gives him a crooked smile. "Yeah, uh, you should probably get outta here. You have a Santa to catch, Officer Parker, and Nate here's off duty."

 

She looks between them and chokes back a laugh. As Audrey stands, she snatches her letter back from Nathan and straightens herself. "I'll let you know when I find something, I guess." The clicking of her shoes against the wood and her stifled laughter don't distract Nathan from Duke's foot slowly moving higher up his leg under the table, nor does the metallic clanking of her pulling open the door.

 

"Go easy on each other, okay?" she laughs out before shutting the door behind her.

 

The only coherent thought that passes through Nathan's mind over the next few hours in Duke's bed is of how to properly thank Audrey and that missing Santa Claus.

  



End file.
